


The long-lasting outcome of one good punch

by SrebrnaFH



Series: Double Pride Double Trouble - series [10]
Category: Das doppelte Lottchen | Lottie and Lisa - Erich Kästner, Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Genre: Bullying, School, Speech Disorders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:48:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25245658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SrebrnaFH/pseuds/SrebrnaFH
Summary: Little Alex Darcy gets bullied at school.Someone comes to his rescue.Oneshot no 9 in my DPDT series.
Relationships: Elizabeth Bennet/Fitzwilliam Darcy, OC - Alex Darcy & OC - Theresa Strickland, OC - Mina Bennet/OC - Teddy Strickland
Series: Double Pride Double Trouble - series [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1273559
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27





	The long-lasting outcome of one good punch

**Author's Note:**

> TW: School bullying, learning disorder related bullying, minor physical altercation

"Hey, short stuff."

The boys surrounding him were bigger.

Not only because he was the shortest in his class, but because these particular ones were three years older than him.

He bit his lip.

"I think he's lost, poor baby," one of them cooed. "Probably wandered in from the creche next door."

"He should be sitting quietly in a corner with a pacifier," added another.

He blinked, trying to stop the tears.

Mommy always said he was allowed to cry whenever he felt a need to, and Dad _had_ cried in front of him, but these boys had already made fun of him several times because of crying, so—

"Lookie, poor baby is going to be bawling any second now!"

"Now, now, you should be kind to a younger student," one said in such a reasonable tone that for just a moment, just a fleeting moment, he had hope—

"Yeah, if we treat him well, he will share his lunch money."

"Because little rich kids like him love to share their lunch money."

"He can't count anyway, so he won't know—"

"I can count very well," he whispered rebelliously.

That was a mistake. A big, big mistake.

The boys stopped smiling.

"Is the little man talking back?" one asked.

"He definitely is. Who would have known this one can actually speak!"

Yeah, that.

The reason he had been sent to school half a year later than he should have.

Nobody was allowing him to forget it.

Well, his family wasn't, like, mentioning it, but he _knew_ they knew, so—

But at school, it was _bad_.

Because everyone knew that Alex didn't start speaking _properly_ until he was five. It would not have been a problem, if not for some of the kids putting facts together and reminding everyone that his parents were married weirdly and his sisters were twins and so much older than him - and what did _that_ even have to do with him not talking? Aunt Susan said that he had simply been too focused on everything that was happening around him to talk to people - and he _did_ talk to people. _People_ being Rose, Mina, Mommy, Dad and his aunts. And anyway, he preferred drawing to talking. And his family always _knew_ what he meant— Aunt Susan said that she had to teach him to talk to _other people_. And that it was OK and that he did great and he was ready for school finally, and he had already learnt how to read and write capital letters in the meanwhile, and he could do sums and draw a lot of different animals so they looked like actual animals.

But learning to talk to others took him too long, and—

And he ended up not going to school on time, with everyone else, and now everyone knew he was weird.

And rich, whatever that meant.

What he definitely didn't have was "lunch money", because, as Mommy explained, the school got a money transfer that had paid for his lunches and afternoon snacks, and the same was done by other parents, through an app on their phones that Mommy had worked out and shared with the school, to make sure nobody would have to carry any cash - at least not in his class. And anyway—

Alex's back hit the wall as he was shoved by one of the big boys.

"Now, short stack, cough up the dough," another said roughly. "Or we take your crayons. And we'll break each and every one of them."

No no no no no. Not the crayons. Not the special crayons that Rose brought from Holland specially for him in August. Not the crayons...!

"B-but I d-don't have money," he whispered. "We don't-don't pay for lunches—"

"He's lying. He's a Darcy, they are _loaded_."

"B-but Momm-my mother doesn't give me _cash_ ," he tried to explain. "We—"

"Get the crayons and let's see the little pipsqueak cry," someone shouted. Alex's backpack was torn off his shoulders and opened in seconds, the precious metal case of crayons pulled out for everyone to see. He grabbed at it, trying not to let go of the strap of his pack, but he was _too short!_

"Yeah, get the—"

"What the heck are you all doing here?"

The boys turned and Alex tugged his backpack to himself, uselessly, as one pulled at it as he turned, dragging Alex a few steps as a result.

"Give him back his frigging crayons, you little creep. Yes, Jason, I'm talking to you. Hands off that box. And you, Cecil, let go of his pack"

'Jason' not only took his hands off the crayon box, but also pushed it into Alex's hands quite abruptly and then 'Cecil' pushed Alex against the wall so hard he had almost dropped both his backpack and the crayons as he stumbled.

"Now, leave," she ordered. "Scram."

"Or what?"

She wasn't that much bigger than them, but she was definitely older. Like. A lot older. Or maybe she was bigger, but Alex just couldn't see very well from behind all these boys...!

"There is no or," she grunted. "Just piss off, you little piece of shit. Leave the kid alone."

"That is not exactly a language we expect from young ladies in this school."

Alex wanted to disappear. To dissolve into a puddle, to—

"They were trying to hit him up for lunch money, four of them against one tiny kid," the girl explained, very calmly. "I think it's kind of more important than me saying they are useless lumps of biological refuse, but what do I know. Maybe punching first graders is now the way to get popular with teachers _in this school_."

The teacher took a deep breath.

"In fact, it isn't. Jason, Tucker, Cecil, Von, this will be reported to the principal. Not sure what is going on here—"

"She said the F word! And heck! And called me a creep!" Jason piped up. "And she was threatening us!"

"Yeah, because they were threatening the kid there," she pointed out. "Wanted to steal his crayons or something."

"It is a serious accusation — and anyway, threatening other students is _not_ a solution, you should have called a teacher— You are in year nine and you _should_ know the rules of breaking up a bullying situation."

"Well, not like I had _time_ to call anyone," the girl protested. "I just saw them, came closer, heard them saying stupid shit to him and told them to lay off. It was like frigging fifteen seconds!"

Uh-oh.

_She said shit. To the teacher. And an f word!_

Alex closed his eyes.

"Reese, I will have to call your parents," the teacher sighed. "Boys, to your class, the principal will deal with you later. Alex? You are Alex, right? Are you OK? Did they hit you?"

"They pushed him into the wall and tried to take his bag," the girl provided.

"I want him to tell me."

Alex opened his lips and—

Swallowed.

"I—" he began. Paused. Thought about it. "I—"

"They were trying to make him cry, that much I've heard."

" _Thank you_ , Reese. I need _him_ to tell me."

Alex swallowed again.

_Stupid words._

"They— pushed me," he breathed finally and raised a hand to his shoulder, touching the spot where he had hit the wall. "Ow."

"And did they try to take anything?"

He saw the man's face softening, so he just shook the crayons box, nodding.

"OK, I see. Let's get you to the nurse's office, OK? She will check if you are alright."

He tried to pick up the backpack that has since slid down to his elbow, but got wrapped in the straps and—

Reese crouched next to him and helped him to pack the crayons back safely, then put the straps straight and onto his shoulders.

"Next time they corner you, scream for Reese," she advised. "Or just scream, it will work, too."

He smiled, just a little bit.

####

"Some boys roughed him up," Dad explained to everyone when they came back home earlier than they were supposed to. "Good old lunch money extortion. Give us your cash or we steal your crayons, seriously, the threats aren't getting any more innovative. Some older girl and a teacher chased them off, but still, the nurse said he should go home."

"My poor boy," Mommy hugged him right where he was still sitting in his rain jacket, watching the way his laces fluttered as he moved his feet back and forth. "Who were they?"

"Just— just some stupid kids from fourth," he said, cuddling to her. Cuddling to Mommy was always good. "They— they wanted money. And— they made fun of me—"

"Oh, Alex... I'm so sorry. But it's a good thing the school called Dad, because my phone was full of Irene," Mommy started to undress him, even though he was already quite able to take his jacket off by himself. "She called complaining about— Well, the world. But mostly about Theresa."

"Theresa? Why would Theresa be a problem suddenly? I—" Dad paused, tugging off his right shoe. "I mean, Theresa— She is kind of bookish, and— I'm not perfectly sure I remember what she looks like. Dark hair? Yyh..."

"Yeah, well, Theresa got in trouble at school for mouthing off to a teacher - using vulgar language, specifically. And then being disrespectful towards the vice principal."

Alex stuck his tongue out at the thought of the vice principal. The man was tall and thin and kinda loud. Every time he made announcements, the speakers all over the school made these weird squeaking sounds.

"Hey, hey, use your words, little man," Dad tapped his nose. "You don't like your vice principal?"

"Nah. He's shouty."

"And anything else?"

Alex searched for a moment.

"He does this," and he frowned, pursing his lips, looking into Dad's eyes as toughly as he could. "Looks like a lemon."

" _Looks like he is sucking a lemon_ , darling, but yes, I remember the man and he does look like a permanently annoyed Egyptian cat. Anyway, Theresa has a detention, of all things, and two pages to write about the proper language to be used at school and towards your elders'."

"And what is Irene's problem with this? Mina and Teddy got into _fights_ at that age. At least Theresa hasn't punched anyone yet. On the other hand, Teddy rarely cursed..."

"And that 'yet' is what is giving Irene nightmares. She thinks Theresa wants to be as, well, as _combative_ as Teddy, even though she's still waiting for any significant growth spurt. I think Irene is kind of blaming Teddy a bit, you know. For giving Theresa an example someone still at school should not be following."

Dad picked Alex up and lifted him high, high, high, to sit on Dad's shoulders. He loved that. He could see _everything_ this way.

"And what does Irene wish you to do with this problem?"

"Probably nothing, it seemed more like a case of nobody to talk to, since Percy mostly dismissed the problem by, yes, comparing it to Teddy and Mina's adventures at the same age. And we're not _bosom friends_ with Irene. I mean, she is still not reconciled with Teddy proposing to Mina and us just accepting the idea without checking in with _them_. I think she blames us somehow for Teddy's choices. Not sure how it is supposed to work."

Alex hugged Dad's head and rested his own head on his arms, to rest a bit. Dad's shoulders were a good place to see stuff. And he was so much higher than anyone in his school would ever be. Nobody's Dad was as tall as his.

The hall door opened and something was dropped on the floor.

_Mina! And she did shopping! Did she buy the little biscuits...?_

"You won't believe it, but Teddy blames me for corrupting Reese," his sister said, laughing. "I mean, seriously, seven years ago I've beat up one bully and Reese has been fangirling me from a distance ever since. Seven. Years!"

Dad stopped and turned back, allowing Alex to see what Mina was doing.

_Yes! Biscuits!_

"What do you mean, Reese—"

"Irene is blaming Teddy," Mom said at the same time, very slowly.

"And Teddy says it's all my fault for showing Reese that you can threaten a bully. And now she is in some kind of trouble, but I couldn't work it out, because he was laughing like crazy. Anyway, I'll have to call her and talk to her, since now I know why she was always so quiet—"

"Theresa is—"

"Reese chased away these boys," he said with a yawn. "She's nice. But she said heck and crap and frigging and creep and other things I'm not supposed to say."

Everyone fell quiet for a moment.

"You aren't really supposed to say _these_ things either," Mommy corrected, something weird in her voice.

"So, let me get this straight— Alex gets bullied," Dad started. "Then the bullies are chased away by a big girl. Then the girl talks back to a teacher, gets send to the principal's office, talks back to the vice principal,"

"And she turns out to be Teddy's little sister, who has been looking up to _Mina_ all that time. Irene is furious with Teddy, for being a bad example, while Teddy in turn blames this on _Mina_."

"It's a circle of life," Mina sang. "Bullies hit Reese up for lunch money, I punch one of them, she starts idolising me, my little brother gets bullied for lunch money, Reese chases the bully away. That's just too perfect. Everything stays in the family."

"You punched a bully?" Alex managed to whisper in awe.

"Well, I did, and got a punishment for this. I was supposed to make an informative poster about reporting bullying. I'm not sure— we completed it with Rose at some point, I think."

"You did, I still remember having to pack it into the car so that it wouldn't get bent or wrinkled," Mommy said. "Just— I'd rather you didn't you go around punching bullies, Alex. This is _not_ a solution."

"Reese didn't punch any. She growled them 'way."

"That's progress at least," Mommy laughed, picked up his backpack and carried it to the living room.

"And don't bite any them on the legs," Mina added with a serious face. "That's unhygienic. Who knows where these legs have been."

"Mina!"

"What? Evelyn was the one—"

He dropped his head to his folded hands again, perched securely on his Dad's shoulders, and closed his eyes.

Maybe he could ask Mommy to help him bake lemon biscuits, so he could give some to Reese. She was nice. She had saved his crayons.


End file.
